Thoughts Under a Moonlit Sky
by stardustfalling
Summary: On the evening of the centennial shinigami ball, memories reign supreme under a beautiful moonlit sky. RenjixOC, ByaxHis, NanaoxKyoraku, GinxRan, HitsuxKarin. Hints of others, mainly RenjixOC and GinxRan.
1. Chapter 1

**So... This one's a little longer, and I'll warn you: it is mostly Renji-centric, therefore my OC has quite a bit of screen-time. If you don't like OC stuff, just skip that and read the 2nd (Byakuya and Hisana), 3rd (Nanao and Kyoraku), 4th (HitsuKarin), 6th (GinRan: Kyahh, I can't get enough of these two), and 7th (wrap-up). You might miss some details, but you wont have to deal with annoying old OCs. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Bleach_ or the characters; those belong to Kubo-san. However, my OC and the story belong to me, so don't steal them!**

**Reviews make me giddy, but only drop one if you want to. Flames and criticism help me grow as an author, and they help me light my candles when I run out of matches. Enjoy!**

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Thoughts Under a Moonlit Sky

"Develope a la seconde. Good, now fouette into arabesque..."

Renji tuned the instructor out, wondering for the millionth time why they had to take this stupid class. He looked over the odd collection of shinigami, all of whom had captain-level reishi. They were all doing this stupid exercise, too, and some even seemed to be enjoying it. His eyes flitted over to Keterin, who was doing just fine.

She glanced back at him and smirked at his obvious discomfort. She had been placed in the front row for centre exercises, along with Isane-san, Kuchiki-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho, and a completely mortified Nanao-san. They were the best in the "class," but Keterin had taken dance classes since she was four, and it showed in her work. Their conversation from earlier flitted through Renji's mind, and he sighed again.

_"We have to dance?!"_

_"Of course, it's the centennial shinigami ball."_

_"Since when do we have a freaking ball?!"_

_"Since forever, baka."_

_"Tch."_

She had smiled, then, and leaned against his shoulder. He maintained his irritated face, but softened towards her warmth. She smiled and closed her eyes.

Snapping back into the present day, Renji stumbled and tried to steady himself. Iba-san reached out quickly before he could topple over and grabbed his arm. Renji had been uncomfortable with the situation, but Iba-san and Ikkaku had practically died to hear they would have to dance. Hisagi had been just as uncomfortable as Renji, and Kira looked mortified. The five of them had tried to stand at the back, and they had been unceremoniously dumped in the third line, so their instructor could keep an eye on them, she said.

The instructor was medium height with dark hair and a sharp chin. She had a sharp voice, too.

"Abarai-san! Shift your weight forward!"

"I don't understand why we couldn't just spar for warm-up," Ikkaku muttered darkly under his breath. Renji snorted a quick laugh that was also somehow an agreement. They had ballet as a warm-up, then ballroom and traditional waltzing.

"Sissy dancing," Renji muttered, earning a death glare from Keterin. It was a well-known fact that Keterin was one of the most deadly and frightening women in Seireitei. She was part of a Crafts club that included herself, Unohana-taicho, and Yachiru-fukutaicho, though no one actually knew what they did for their club except exude an ominous air that successfully repelled all unseated (and seated) officers. Renji, however, had managed to hide the slight wince that was instinctual whenever he got that glare after the many months he had experienced it. It was still rather unsettling though.

"Now, we will begin partnering. If you have a pre-arranged partner, please join them; if not, I will select your partner." Renji slowly moved over to Keterin, who was stretching. She grinned, and he helped her up off the floor. They looked around at the other couples that had formed. Yachiru (why was she even here?) had immediately jumped on Ikkaku; Unohana-taicho had politely asked a slightly alarmed Ukitake-taicho to dance; Nanao-san had obviously resigned herself to the fact that she would be dancing with Kyoraku-taicho and was standing next to him; Kotetsu and Sentaro stood absolutely as far away from each other as they could while still making it obvious that they were partners; and of course, Rukia had gravitated towards Ichigo. The others awkwardly stood next to someone of the approximate same height and opposite gender, and the instructor began explaining simple ballroom steps.

Keterin, obviously rather bored, skillfully led Renji through the steps and helped him with things he missed. A few of the other couples were doing well, also. Keterin sighed, and continued.

After surviving ballroom with only minor injuries, Renji thought he was easily ready for waltzing.

_Why is this so freaking hard?!_ Renji fumed.

"Just count to three! It's not that hard, Renji," Keterin muttered, obviously unimpressed. Finally as the practice day drew to a close, the teacher began to speak again.

"You all did very well, and I believe the majority of you," a sharp glare was sent back at the five men in the third row, "will do well in the upcoming dance."

"Wait! You make it sound like it's a test!" Ikkaku shouted frantically.

"Keep your voice down, Madarame-san. And no, it is not a test, though it is very important it runs smoothly, as it is supposed to predict the success of the upcoming century for Soul Society."

Several groans were heard, though if they were because of the silly superstition or the fact that _dancing_ predicted Soul Society's success, no one could tell.

The teacher frowned. "Yes, yes. We all know it is an old wives' tale, but it is still an important tradition, and I will not have my students fail to keep the tradition at it's highest. That will be all for today. As you know, the dance is in four days, so keep your form up. Thank you and goodbye."

With that, she bowed once and left the room.

"Aww, I thought we would get to have some fun," Kyoraku-taicho complained.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since it was this dull," Ukitake-taicho added.

"What do you mean, since it was this dull?" Ikkaku asked.

"Well, normally there's a theme, and they ask everybody to dress up or something like that. And even if they don't do that, they generally teach Latin or salsa, too," Kyoraku-taicho said. By this point almost everybody had left, excepting Kyoraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, Kuchiki-taicho, Nanao-san, Unohana-taicho, Isane, Ikkaku, Kira, Hisagi, Iba, and Keterin, who was stretching again. Renji had stayed to wait for her.

"Latin?" Hisagi asked. "Isn't that the language all the Western languages are based on?"

Ikkaku snorted. "Isn't it a dead language that no one speaks anymore? That we wouldn't want to learn?"

"No, no. Latin is also a style of dance," Keterin stood up and re-entered the conversation. "It's kind of like salsa and tango, only sassier."

"Oh? You dance Latin?" Kyoraku raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. I tried to dabble in all sorts of dance," she replied smoothly.

"Well now you have to give us a show, Keterin-kun," Ukitake smiled.

"But I don't have a partner, and I sincerely doubt Renji here knows how to salsa," she said, smiling wryly over her shoulder at the pineapple in question. He made a face, and she grinned devilishly.

"I'm sure Kuchiki-taicho wouldn't mind, would you, Kuchiki-san?" Unohana asked.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since we saw you dance, Kuchiki," Kyoraku said.

Byakuya sighed tiredly and slowly moved out to the center of the floor. He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Shall we?" he asked.

Keterin smiled and stood up, walking over to him. Ukitake started the music magically procured from who knows where, and the two started to dance. Renji watched them in disbelief, wondering where on earth his captain learned such a dance. After a while, Kyoraku-taicho elbowed Nanao-san, and she sighed but moved out to the dance floor with them. The two were an excellent pair, and the two pairs spun around the dance floor until the music ended. Breathing heavily, they walked back to the others.

"That is how these things used to go," Ukitake's eyes crinkled.

"I see you still have the same spirit for it, Byakuya-san," Kyoraku said.

"Hmm... Well, I will see the rest of you at the dance," Byakuya walked out, and Renji realized that this was one of the few non-Rukia-related times he had seen his captain show any true emotion. Not that he couldn't understand, it did look kind of fun.

_Wait, did I just think that?!_ Renji blushed slightly, then shook his head to clear it. _It would be fun with her..._ He smiled slightly. _I'm going to learn that dance._

Later, after they packed up and left, Renji wandered aimlessly around Seireitei. It was night by now, and the moon hung bright in the sky. A _shunpo_ or two and he stood up on one of the slanted burnt sienna roofs that decorated the horizon of Seireitei. As he stared out over the moonlit maze of buildings, he noticed a figure walking there. The figure stopped and stared at the moon, and it was only then that Renji recognized his captain. Suddenly, Renji remembered his question from before. Renji _shunpo_-ed over and only realized he was interrupting when he stood in front of his captain awkwardly.

"Renji."

"Uh, taicho."

"What is it, Renji."

"Well, I was just standing on that roof over there, and I saw you, and I remembered that earlier today—"

"Renji. Do you have something to say, or did you just come to bore me with idle chatter." Byakuya looked calm and rigid as ever, and Renji nervously shuffled his feet on the tiles below.

"Oh, well I was just wondering... Who taught you how to dance?" There, he had finally spit it out.

The head of the Kuchiki clan looked momentarily surprised at this seemingly random question, but then, something deeper stirred in his eyes and was quickly snuffed out by the usual Kuchiki mask. Renji noticed and said nothing, wondering if perhaps the moon brought everybody's hearts closer to the surface.

"All of the noble families put high regard in knowledge of the arts and sciences. I was taught as a boy by my father."

Renji blinked, pulled back from his thoughts of hearts and moons to the present.

"O-of course. That makes sense."

Kuchiki-taicho nodded once and started to turn.

"Ano, taicho..."

The regal captain paused and sighed.

"Is there something else you want to ask me, Renji?"

"Who else do you think might know how to dance like that here in Seireitei?"

Byakuya looked back at him with a slight frown, wondering what on earth was going through his mind at this moment.

"Most likely Unohana-taicho and Ukitake-taicho, as well as the people you saw today. Probably also Shihouin Yoruichi, when she visits. Oh, and probably Kurotsuchi Nemu. Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you taicho." _Nemu can dance? That's a little frightening._


	2. Who Taught You How To Dance?

**Second chapter up! I like chapters, but they're kind of a pain in the neck to upload. By the way, the website won't allow me to change the title of the first chapter, which is supposed to be called "You Dance Latin?". My disclaimer from the first chapter applies to all other chapters. Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for: presenting Byakuya and Hisana in "Who Taught You How To Dance?"**

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Byakuya walked between the shadowed buildings of Seireitei. Renji's voice entered his thoughts.

_Who taught you how to dance?_

Then another, softer voice repeated the question.

_"Who taught you how to dance?"_

_She smiled at him, mouth slightly open in the quest for more oxygen._

_"No, but really. Who?"_

_He sighed, well aware that she would not be put off. The two were lying on a grassy hill about fifty kilometres outside of the seventieth district of Rukongai, hands behind their heads, staring at the stars._

_"Before you laugh, let me tell you I was a little over fifty, and I was completely mortified." He sighed again and looked up at the moon. She grinned, already suspecting the answer._

_"You are kidding me. Shihouin Yoruichi taught you how to dance."_

_"Also, she insisted. My father was never properly taught, and she had been."_

_At this point Hisana started laughing, and even the practiced Kuchiki glare could not make her stop._

_"She asked him if she could teach me, and of course, he just_ had _to agree."_

_Hisana's face was red from laughter, and she rolled over to put her head on her arms as tears started coming to her eyes._

_"It was the most terrifying day of my childhood."_

_After a minute or two of Hisana's continued laughter, Byakuya smiled. Finally she stopped laughing and turned to look at him._

_Her eyes held the moon in them, and she looked at him with an expression that held so much in it. It was reflected in his face, but neither of them would be able to put a word to it for a very long time. Even then, they would be afraid to speak it for many years, for fear of what would be said. But neither of them knew that. All they knew was their nights dancing and laughing and talking on the hillside outside of Rukongai. Hisana was beautiful and happy, then._

She had always been beautiful and happy, except when she was thinking of Rukia. Then she looked so heartbreakingly sad that he felt like nothing he could do would even make a dent in that kind of pain. What he realized too late is that he did. Every moment that he spent with her he took the pain and banished it away. He only realized that the day she died.

Kuchiki Byakuya looked at the moon, and he murmured something softly into the night. The wind stole his words so no one could hear them, for which he was grateful.

_I miss you, Hisana. _


	3. Beautiful

**Ugh... I lied, this is actually an OC chapter. However, most of it isn't OC, it's actually dress spamming. I almost wish I didn't have to put this up... =_='**

**The standard Disclaimer applies...**

**As does the standard review message... If you're on this chapter by now, I bet you know what that is. Enjoy!**

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He nervously adjusted his suit. Which person's idiot idea was it to have them all dress in Westerner clothes? The formal wear was so uncomfortable!

He stepped back and eyed himself in Rukia's mirror. A solid black suit with dancing shoes had been deemed suitable by his female shinigami friends, and he had to admit, it did look rather smart. He had exchanged his usual white bandana for a black one, and he felt slightly like a spy.

He clicked his heels and opened the door. Rukia, Matsumoto, Ikkaku, Kira, Yumichika, Ichigo, and Hinamori were lounged around Rukia's room in various positions.

"Well, how do I look?" Renji asked impatiently.

"You look nice," Matsumoto stood up to inspect him better for all angles, and Rukia and Momo's eyes traced his figure. Renji was distinctly uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny.

Matsumoto was clad in a strapless, royal blue gown that fell to the floor. It had butterfly embroidery around the bottom edge that climbed up her left side and ended somewhere around her left knee. A sheer blue scarf of the same shade was wrapped loosely around her neck. The large amount of back material missing from her dress made Renji slightly discomfited. She had decided to let Hisagi to escort her, though he had been mysteriously absent from the dressing party.

Hinamori had let her hair down for the event, and it framed her face sweetly. Her black dress was fitted throughout the bodice, but had loose sleeves that cinched at the wrists and long, flowing skirts. When she had come from the "dressing room," as it had been dubbed by the gathered crew, Kira's one visible eye had widened almost imperceptibly. He had decided to wear a simple black suit with a white shirt and a spring green tie, in honor of his division.

Rukia looked lovely in a purple dress that matched her eyes; it was sleeveless, with spaghetti straps, and fitted throughout the bodice. The skirts were long and full like Hinamori's, but with lilac edging. Ichigo, who was taking her, looked semi-uncomfortable in another black suit with a red tie.

Yumichika and Ikkaku both wore suits and had opted to go dateless for this particular event.

"I think it's good," Rukia decided. "Let's go."

Renji was slightly nervous. It had been obvious that he and Keterin would be dates, but she had said that she would meet him at the door.

The group reached the door to the mess hall of the first division, which had been converted into a ballroom for the occasion.

"Tch. The first has such huge buildings," Ikkaku said. "Let's get this over with."

"Do you guys see Keterin anywhere?" Renji asked the group.

"No, she's probably late," Matsumoto answered.

"Why do you say that?" Ichigo asked.

"Because she isn't the type to leave ya hanging! Though I could see why she would want to." Matsumoto grinned mischievously at Renji, who glared.

"Anyway, you guys go on ahead, I'll wait," Renji said.

"You sure?" Rukia looked undecided.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

The group walked inside, chatting and laughing already, and Renji leaned against the stone wall. A shadow detached itself from a small alcove and slunk up beside him.

"You look beautiful..." Renji was slightly stunned, and his voice was quieter than usual. Keterin was wearing a red halter neck dress with straps that crossed in front of her neck. It was closely fitted through her torso, and flared ever so slightly at the hips. There was plenty of fabric for dancing. And it was sparkly. The whole thing glittered slightly in the soft light of the moon, and he knew instinctively that the sparkle was noticeable but understated, matching the girl who wore it perfectly. Her long, dark hair was loose and free, and when he offered his hand to her she took it and began leading him inside.

Unbeknownst to the pair, they had had a spectator. A woman in a blue dress watched them silently, wishing she had someone to tell her she was beautiful in that way.

Renji and Keterin danced the whole night, and by the time the they realized that everything had gone smoothly, just as planned, the music changed again. The opening notes to a salsa combination started to play, and Keterin cocked her head to the side. Renji looked over at the unsuspecting girl at his side and grinned.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the rapidly clearing dance floor.

"Renji! What are you doing?!" She hissed. He simply smiled and began leading her through the dance. She raised an eyebrow, and suddenly, her face split into a slightly devilish grin.

"Let's dance, then."

She began dancing for real then, and the two danced well, drawing many pairs of eyes. It was then that they noticed Kyoraku-taicho and Nanao-san dancing. Nanao was wearing a strapless black dress, and Kyoraku-taicho was wearing a white shirt and black suit pants. Kyoraku winked at the other couple, and Keterin and Renji smiled back.

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The dance could have lasted hours or seconds, but suddenly, it was over. Renji and Keterin accepted congratulations and slowly made their way outside. The first had a lovely balcony that had a good view of the sky, and the pair made their way slowly over to the ledge that separated the balcony from a drop of about two metres. They swung their legs over and sat, leaning against each other in the moonlight.

"That was amazing," Keterin said, breathless.

"Yeah," Renji agreed.

"Thank you," she looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She smiled and leaned back against his shoulder. After a few moments, she exhaled softly.

"It appears we have a spectator," she murmured.

"Mmm. How about the roof, then?" The two _shunpo_-ed as best they could in their dress clothes and landed awkwardly on the roof. Lying down side-by-side on the roof they stared off at the stars, content in each other's presence.

Matsumoto sighed at her discovery and leapt lightly over the ledge to the ground below. She walked slowly over to her apartments, lost in thought. For some reason, the day of the party _had_ to be the day she was bombarded with memories. She didn't feel like partying much anymore.

After changing back into her Shinigami robes, she walked quietly back to the party, but she walked around to the balcony, turning after she got to the end so she could just watch the balcony and the sky above it. She put her back against a helpfully stationed pole with no apparent purpose and slid down to sit on the ground.

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**Now I wonder why Yumi and Ikkaku decided to go dateless... **

**Next chapter is suuuper short, but it is a legit chapter with very few OC mentions. Prepare for the NanaoxKyoraku.**


	4. Rules

**So short...**

**Disclaimer and review statements apply. Enjoy!**

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Another couple walked slowly out onto the balcony. Ise Nanao and Kyoraku-taicho sat and adopted the same position previously occupied by Renji and Keterin, and Kyoraku-taicho draped his arm around Nanao-san's waist.

She leaned against him and breathed in his smell. He smelled like springtime and sake, a scent that made her smile inside whenever it came near. She knew she would regret this momentary lapse of protocol later, or maybe she wouldn't? Everything was confused now.

Tonight he was different under the moonlit sky; he acted like more than just a flirt, and somehow she doubted he would say anything about this perfect moment later. He would just be happy that she let him drape his arm around his waist for once.

She sighed and relaxed slightly, and he smiled. Oh Nanao-chan. It was hard for her to show too much, and he was extremely grateful for moments like this where they could drop the act they put on around each other all the other times. He knew she liked them, too. It was important that she follow her rules, though, and he knew that. As long as she allowed him moments like this, where the true depth of their relationship timidly let itself show for a minute or two, he was alright with her rules.

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**So... Next chap is longer. A lot longer, because I have a tendency to make flashbacks ****_way_**** too long. HitsuKarin.**


	5. Minutes Like Molasses

**I love these two. They're probably slightly OOC, but at least I got in plenty of 'filing' jokes around Hitsugaya-taicho. Even if you can't find them.**

**Blah. Disclaimers. Blah. Reviews. Blah. Enjoy! XD**

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A man stood on top of a pole.

His shock of fiercely white hair was silvered under the moonlit sky, and his teal eyes were unreadable. He silently watched the two couples visible from his vantage point.

What was he doing? He should be down at the party, enjoying himself and dancing. Dancing with whom? He mentally slapped himself. Was that really the problem?

"Tch."

Ridiculous. When had Hitsugaya Toushirou, the child prodigy whose name brought to mind the image of the perpetual stacks of paperwork he was constantly filling out, the _captain_ of the tenth division, ever been interested in girls?

Unbidden, the images of two women flashed through his head, and he practically gave away his position in frustration with himself. He blamed the snide little voice in his head that reminded him strangely of Ichimaru Gin for that one.

Really, it was one woman and a girl. And of course, those two were Hinamori Momo and Ku—he could barely say it. It barely made sense to him that _she_ was the one who came to mind, but at the same time, it made all the sense in the world.

He didn't really care for Momo like that; she had come to mind simply because she was the one he normally came to these things with. But today she had found someone who was more than a brother to her, and he had been left alone.

But Karin... No!

She was a human, and he was shinigami. Maybe he looked like a child and occasionally still felt like one inside... Why was he even having this thought process? Of course it could never work out, but that was beside the point. A soccer ball flashed through his mind.

He didn't feel for her that way, or did he? He couldn't possibly, and it was against every single one of his principles. No, not really. It hurt, though. The possibility that the walls he had so painstakingly created had been shattered in less than a week was hard for him to swallow. Matsumoto would say that it wasn't weakness, but...

_Hmm... Matsumoto. I wonder what she's thinking._ Hitsugaya glanced down the pole on which he stood to see the brassy-haired lieutenant in question.

But anyway, the point was that it felt weak.

Everything he had done since becoming a captain had been to isolate himself and gain the respect of a squad that now appeared to be run by a twelve-year-old. Never mind that he had the ultimate ice-type zanpakuto, and Bankai, or anything. He was small. But he was not weak. Everything he did exuded authority, adulthood, and complete isolation. He was their captain, nothing more. The only people he truly had a relationship with that included anything familiar were Hinamori and Matsumoto. And Karin.

He had built walls of strength, power, and reliability between himself and his subordinates until he had few friends and absolute respect. And that had been shattered? In mere days? His subordinates detected nothing, of course, since the walls between them and their captain had not suffered any damage, but Hitsugaya's whole persona had been seen through by one well-meaning human girl.

The furrow between his eyebrows increased until his eyes closed, and he tensed, at war with himself.

_Geez, Karin._

He finally admitted it to himself. He did like her more than he should. And it would be almost impossible to pull off even _if_ she had any feelings for him at all. Especially with Kurosaki in the picture.

Hitsugaya winced. No need to delve any further into the possibilities of what _that_ could breed.

With these resolutions made and filed away, Hitsugaya contented himself with the knowledge that he had at least admitted it and properly acknowledged that the feeling was useless and uncontrollable. He sighed; but it was a little more than that.

_"Come on Toushirou!" She laughed and sprinted away._

_"Catch me, and I'll tell you the big secret!" She ran._

_Toushirou knew that to use_ shunpo _would ruin any semblance of friendship that they had, but maybe that didn't matter. They weren't supposed to get involved in human affairs, right? Right..._

_He groaned and set off running, no_ shunpo_ involved. He could not believe he was doing this. Several minutes later, he arrived at the soccer field, breathless and sweaty. Stupid_ gigai. _Karin looked perfectly composed, bouncing a soccer ball off her knees with an ease that obviously came through much practice._

_"Well? What's the secret?" Toushirou asked. Karin only laughed._

_"You didn't catch me, so I don't have to tell you," Karin smirked. Toushirou growled in frustration, and Karin laughed again. She bounced the ball over to him, and they began their usual one-on-one soccer game. There were rarely any points scored, but it was as good an excuse as any for the teal-eyed boy to spend time with the one person who treated him with normalcy._

_Toushirou, with the ball under his control, successfully evaded Karin's block. He passed close to her right side, and the backs of their hands brushed momentarily. It was like an electric shock in the way that it affected them. Both were momentarily surprised, but quickly recovered. Or put on a mask to hide their surprise. Karin quickly took advantage of that mask and stole the ball, scoring the first goal of the game._

_"Ha! I got it!" She stuck out her tongue, secretly grateful for the emotion to cover up with. Teasing was always a good fallback._

_"Only because I was distracted!" Toushirou folded his arms._

_"Well that was your own fault, now, wasn't it?" Karin smirked, but it softened for a moment, till she was just looking at him. The look quickly became slightly confused, and it was soon covered up again by one of those infuriating masks._

_"Well, I still scored," she said, laughing at the roll of his eyes and successfully knocking him out of that strange, slowed moment._

Thinking back to that moment, Hitsugaya realized that that had been one of a few slowed moments of that afternoon. When they accidentally brushed hands, time seemed to slow. He remembered distinctly that they had both shivered, even though the day was hot and they had both been moving far too quickly for either of them to have picked up on such a slight movement. And then later, when she gave him that look.

Hitsugaya shook his head in a vague attempt to shake up his disorderly thoughts.

_I need to get some sleep._

He silently said goodnight to the two couples, who were enjoying the simple pleasure of quietly spending time with each other, and Matsumoto, whose thought were also, no doubt, far away. Hitsugaya said goodnight to Karin, and he tried to momentarily leave all thoughts that would prevent him from sleeping at the top of the pole under the moonlit sky. He closed his eyes, then opened them, turned, and flash stepped off, into the night.

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**Next chapter is OC with KyoraNana towards the end.**


	6. On The Roof?

**Sooo... OC chapter. Not much else to say... Oh! A bit of NanaoKyoraku at the very end. Disclaimer applies. Review statement applies. Enjoy!**

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"You know what, Renji? I think we should dance," Keterin propped herself up on her right elbow and looked over at the vibrant-haired lieutenant. He still had his hands behind his head, but his eyes had slipped closed.

"Dance? I thought we already did that," he replied, eyes still closed.

"Yes, yes. But I think it would be more fun on the roof."

"On the roof?" Renji sat up and looked at her as if she had just sprouted wings. Ooh, bad comparison. Renji winced, thinking of a certain wing-toting traitor who had only recently been vanquished.

"Yeah! We can hear the music from here, can't we?"

"Yes, but... On the roof? There's no flat space."

"That's what makes it fun," she shot him one of those mischievous grins she had the tendency to flash out at moments like these, where one side of her mouth grinned wider than the other and her left eyebrow curved up. He sighed, and she smiled wider, scrambling to stand up on the slippery tiles.

They waited for a new song to start, and when it did, they began to dance. It was very different from dancing on the floor; one of the most obvious differences to someone watching would be the fact that they often had to leap around each other to stand on the flatter center beam. However, the most obvious thing to Renji was how physically close they had to stand. He shivered, despite the warm evening breeze.

The song ended, but the couple on the roof kept dancing through the silence until the next song started. Keterin was getting tired, and more than once her head drooped to rest on his chest.

All of a sudden, most likely brought on by Keterin's flagging energy, the inevitable happened. Keterin stepped on the slanted part of the roof and began to fall. Renji desperately grabbed her hand, but she was too far gone. Her eyes widened, and she shrieked, already starting to laugh at their predicament. Renji was now falling, too. In seconds, the two found themselves in an uncomfortable heap on the floor of the balcony. Kyoraku-taicho and Nanao turned abruptly to see the tangled mess of limbs. Kyoraku's eyebrows raised.

"Ow."

Keterin started laughing. She laughed and laughed, and eventually Renji smiled and Kyoraku joined in the laughter. Even Nanao, turned serious again by this interruption, had to suppress her laughter.

Slowly, slowly, the two disentangled and sorted themselves out.

"Well, I guess that it was in the cards from the start," Keterin sighed. When Kyoraku raised an eyebrow, she smiled.

"We were dancing," she answered the unspoken question quickly. "On the roof."

"On the... roof?" Nanao asked, bemused.

"Yeah," Renji answered. "Her idea," he jerked his finger at Keterin, who smiled.

"I guess we should just go back to stargazing," she said quietly, tugging his arm. Nanao's cheeks had acquired a faint dusting of pink upon the realization that she was still sitting rather close to her captain in the presence of others. Keterin shot Renji a look and the two of them _shunpo_-ed back to the top of the roof, where they resumed their original positions.

Nanao started to pull away, saying she needed to get back to work, but Kyoraku captured her waist again and pulled her back. After a moment of hesitation, she relaxed back into her captain's shoulder.

Kyoraku smiled, wishing the moonlit sky of tonight wouldn't pale and slip away like it normally did. Maybe it could stay just a little longer than normal.

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**Next chapter is long, because it is GinRan. I'm kind of obsessed with that couple; however, it seems I can only write angst for them. Oh, the poor, tortured characters.**


	7. Fireworks and Sweet Buns

**Too much flashback... Angsty GinRan for you today. I think I made them both slightly OOC, but I don't care because they work together, whether or not I write them well. Urgh! I hate it when I have to go back an re-italicize everything! ;C**

**Disclaimer and Review statements apply, as always! Enjoy the beautiful angst!**

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Matsumoto sighed. Again. What was _with_ her tonight? But of course, she knew.

_"You look beautiful..."_ Renji had said to his stunning, red-clad date. Matsumoto hadn't even needed to see Keterin's face to feel the happy, breathless glow that was almost certainly making her shine in the moonlight.

He was dead. It had taken her many, many long months of excuses and sake, but she had finally been forced to accept it. But she hadn't moved on.

_And I never will..._ She acknowledged the thought, and silently laughed at the contradiction she embodied. She picked up another man in some bar every night, but her heart belonged to the one man she could never have. Or maybe it wasn't a contradiction. Maybe it was just a horrible twist of fate and heart that had caused her pain.

_"Ran-chan! Ran-chan! I have something to show you, Ran-chan!" Little Gin tugged her hand, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet in his excitement. He was rarely like this; something must have really excited him._

_The boy and the girl ran through an open field that passed by a dirt road. He was pulling her along by the hand. He wore a dark gray tunic with a white pattern down the left side, and she a lighter gray tunic._

_Night began to fall, and Rangiku realized she was panting._

_"Gin... Where... are we going?" she asked, a little alarmed at the rapidly falling darkness._

_"To a place I found a couple a' days ago," he answered, looking back and grinning wider. The two stopped to take a break under some trees, but after a few minutes Gin started fidgeting, letting Rangiku know of his impatience to be off. She sighed and stood, and they started running again. After a while, Gin spoke again._

_"So, Ran-chan. Have ya ever seen a fireworks show before?" He asked._

_"No, why?"_

_"Oh, no reason, Ran-chan."_

_Night had fallen by this point, and the stars shone faintly in the inky sky. The moon looked like a bit of milk in the bottom of a pot, and it gleamed slightly. Gin put on a burst of speed that left Rangiku breathless, and she asked for a break. The corners of Gin's grin turned down slightly at her discomfort._

_"We're almost there, Ran-chan!"_

_By this point they had been running for what Rangiku estimated to be about three hours, and she almost collapsed from exhaustion and hunger. Finally, the pair broke through the last of the trees they had been running through for a while. The edge of one of the nicer Rukongai districts came into view, and green grass decorated the barely sloping hillside that separated the boy and girl from the little huts and shops. _

_A stream ran through the open plain, and it was there that a triumphant Gin led Rangiku. His expression, of course, didn't change, but when you live with someone, you can distinguish their emotions better than other people. They sat on the bank and dabbled their feet in the cool water. A warm breeze ruffled Rangiku's hair, and Gin pulled two rolls from a pocket of his tunic. Rangiku hungrily bit into hers and was surprised to discover that it was sweet. Sweet buns were rare, even for the people who could afford them. Rangiku looked over at the boy next to her, and smiled slightly. For whatever reason, he was trying to make this night special._

_After a few minutes of contented silence, a faint boom echoed over the plain. Rangiku looked around wildly for the source of the noise, but her eyes were abruptly drawn back to the sky as what looked like a million tiny sparks exploded in a shower of orange and gold._

_"When I went into town the other day," Gin began casually, "I heard Kuukaku was havin' a fireworks demonstration. I thought ya might like to see them."_

_But Rangiku barely heard him. She was completely mesmerized by the continued explosions in every color she could think of. The stars were obscured by the light of the crackling lights, but for once, Rangiku didn't mind at all._

_Gin watched her, his slit-like eyes slightly open. Her mouth had fallen slightly open in awe of the spectacle, but he had eyes only for her. He snorted internally. Actually, he practically did have eyes only for her. No one else really saw his eyes, only her, and only when his mask slipped._

_She looked over at him and he could see that the night was perfect in her eyes. They had spent the entire day running, and it had all been worth it to her. The stream, sweet buns, fireworks, his eyes, and the fact that he hadn't left that night all glowed in her face. It had been worth it to her, which meant that it had been worth it to him._

_But that peace would be shattered soon. Guilt washed over him and weakened his knees. If Gin had been standing, he might have had to grab on to something to keep from appearing weak in front of his beautiful Ran-chan._

_Because of course, he hadn't left her this night, this beautiful night where Gin had bribed all the forces of this world to make her happy. Or practically all, anyway. He couldn't leave her tonight, of all nights, when tomorrow he would leave her forever. Or what would feel like forever to both of them, anyway._

_Rangiku had resumed her fireworks watching, and the lovely eyes with the sparks of the night in them turned to him when he spoke._

_"Ran-chan. I... I'm going to go to the shinigami academy." She always knew he was serious when he enunciated._

_"What?!" The happy, blissful peace of the night was gone in an instant. He was leaving. But he wasn't coming back._

_"I want to make it so you never cry again." As he said it he could already see the glassy shine of tears slide across her starstruck eyes. The very things he had sworn to protect, brought on by his confession._

_"No, Gin, you can't leave. I mean, you always leave, but this time you'll never come back. Please, Gin, please. Please don't leave me. Please!"_

_She was begging him now, and his resolve was crumbling, like he knew it would. He hated himself for it, hated that he couldn't have this brutally real conversation with her like a real person, but he pulled his impossibly grinning mask to the surface and hid his eyes._

_"Oh, Ran-chan. Ya know I would never leave you forever."_

_She continued to cry, her insides folding over themselves as she crumpled in on herself._

_"Don't leave me alone, Gin, please," the whispered plea raked across his heart and soul. He cautiously, slowly pulled her into an embrace. He wasn't really one for a lot of physical contact, but he thought that this might make it a little better._

_Her hands clutched at the front of his tunic, and he softly ran his hand up and down her spine, staring off into the spaces between the stars. Oh, he wished he could just disappear into the starland with her, where she could be safe, and warm, and never go hungry._

_His mask slipped, and he clutched her a little tighter. That had been a lie, of course. He was a hugging type, but she didn't know that. He looked down at her, and deeming her to be sufficiently calmed down, he murmured it softly into her hair._

_"I will always come back to you, Ran-chan. I promise. I might not see you as often, but I will always come back to you."_

_The rest of the night he held her and dabbled his feet in the stream. At sunrise he woke up and stretched. His back had a cramp in it from sleeping curled over her, but he didn't mind. He gently lifted her up and settled her comfortably on the bank, curling her hands around a little package with "To Ran-chan" scrawled on it. Inside lay a folded note telling her where he hid a bunch of food in their old home, along with directions back in case she got lost. It also said when he would be back (approximately). Finally, a small, silver-black chain with a loop on one end and a charm on the other was folded into the package. The note said it was to remember him by, which he knew would make her cry._

_"G'bye, Ran-chan..." His voice wavered slightly at the end._

_He waved, and left her, again._

_When she woke, hours later, she read the note and cried. She put the necklace on and clutched it, then slipped it beneath her tunic and walked home._

She had cried that night, Matsumoto remembered. Then, she had counted the days until he said he would be back. Every time he left, from that point on, she would count the days. After about a year and a half, he came back and said he wanted to show her something.

_"Come on, Ran-chan! I have somethin' ta show ya!"_

_They had both grown, but they were still the same._

_"What?" she asked, exasperated._

_"Just, come on!"_

_Gin started running, pulling Rangiku along behind him. She still wore the same, threadbare old tunic, which was now about an inch above her knees. He wore the shihakusho of a shinigami, and carried a sword that was too big for him at his waist. However, today he had opted to leave his shoes in Seireitei. They ran for a good hour and a half, and by the time Rangiku started recognizing the path they took, the stars had begun making an appearance._

_"Gin..."_

_He looked back at her and the signature grin deepened. They ran on, and finally, they broke through the trees. Gin lead a slightly stunned Rangiku to the spot, and they sat down, dangling their feet in the stream. For a while, they sat in silence, but then, Gin pulled two rolls out of his shihakusho and handed one to Rangiku. She bit into it and was not at all surprised to find it sweet. She smiled and leaned against him._

_They stared at the stars for a long time, until finally, Rangiku spoke._

_"Is today just a nice night, Gin? Or is there something you wanted to tell me?"_

_Gin drooped slightly beside her, but his mask did not waver._

_"You've always been able ta read me like a book, Ran-chan," he said brightly. She sat, silent, and huddled a little closer to his side, simultaneously wanting him to tell her and wanting to never know._

_"I'm bein' sent on a mission, Ran-chan." She stiffened slightly beside him. "I'll only be gone a month, but I just wanted to tell ya."_

_Rangiku didn't know what to say. She hated to admit it, but she knew she had become more dependent on him since he had left. She tried to hide it, but she knew it came out even in little things, like her reaction to his news. Ever since he had left, she had wanted him to come back and live the same way they always had. Or, almost always. She had to be okay with this, for him. He was a shinigami now, and this was what shinigami did._

_But still, she tried to hold back the tears that threatened an appearance. She could not show him that again. He was obviously happy, and she didn't want to take that from him. So she smiled through her tears and hoped her eyes didn't reveal her inner tempest._

_He looked at her, then, and though his face did not change, he patted her hand bouncily. Suddenly, he brightened considerably._

_"Hey, Ran-chan! Didn't I teach ya some kidou last time I was here?" he asked._

_"Oh, yeah. You did. You wanna see?"_

_"O' course, Ran-chan!"_

_She stood up and pointed her finger ahead of her._

_"O Lord of lightning and thunder, ye of the breath of wind and the call of heavenly drums. Thirty-two moons coincide, forty paper cranes unfold, the red demon rises from the soil. Hadou no ichi, Shou!"_

_Though there was nothing to 'thrust' away from her, it was obvious that a force was expelled from her outstretched finger. A spark ignited briefly and died, and the air that breezed by Gin's face was suddenly fast and hard._

_"Nice job, Ran-chan!" He stood up and walked over to her._

_"Really?" Her eyes sparkled._

_"Really. You'd be able ta defend yourself pretty well with that."_

_Her eyes closed off slightly, and she dropped her gaze to the ground near her feet._

_"I was thinking, Gin..."_

_He swallowed, hoping she wasn't planning what he knew she was undoubtedly planning. Belatedly, he realized that he should have expected this, and he let out a sigh. She glanced up him briefly, bit her lip, and looked down again._

_"Um, I was thinking..."_

_"You should do it," Gin blurted out. She looked up at him, surprised. She had expected him to be fervently averse to her joining the Academy._

_"What?"_

_"Ya have to, and I get that. Really, I do. I mean, I'm not happy or anything, but I get it." He held his mask as firmly in place as he could muster._

_She smiled, and in that moment, it was worth it to see her finally happy. But the smile quickly flew away as she remembered his purpose for coming._

_"So, Gin. Where are you going?" she asked, moving back to the stream and sitting down again. He sat beside her._

_"The material world, o' course. Where else would I be gone a month, Ran-chan?" he teased her._

_"What are you doing there?"_

_"I'm in a group lookin' for a lost shinigami. I'm seventh seat now, Ran-chan," he said proudly. A cloud floated across the moon, casting the girl beside him into shadow._

_"So, it's pretty dangerous then, huh? If it requires a seventh seat?" Her voice barely shook, but he still noticed._

_"Aw, Ran-chan don't worry. I'll be fine," he was getting better at keeping his mask up in front of her, which simultaneously alarmed and relieved him._

_"After all, remember what I said last time?" He draped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him._

_"I will always come back to you. 'Promise."_

_She smiled a little, allowing herself to give in to the pull of sleep. When she woke, he was gone._

Rangiku sighed, and her head drooped. He was always leaving like that. He would disappear overnight and only return in the daylight. Or sometimes, he didn't return for days. Even as his vice-captain, Kira had only known Gin's whereabouts half the time. And the last time... Rangiku snorted.

"St_op_." Her face was wet. She didn't even know when she'd started crying. Her voice came out as barely a watery whisper, and she thumped the pole above her soundly.

_"Rangiku." Gin silently appeared in her periphery, smiling, as usual._

_"Gin?" Rangiku turned slowly. She was in a favorite Rukongai bar, drinking alone in a corner for once. She had been sort of sad, as of late, and she had decided that a night all to herself would make her lonely and shake her out of her state of mind. _Oh well_, she thought. _So much for that.

_"Care to go for a walk?" Gin asked, folding his hands together inside his sleeves._

_"Alright." Rangiku stood and walked over to him. They walked out of the building together, and once outside, Gin's grin deepened. He uncrossed his hands and offered her one. Rangiku hesitated, and then cautiously took the proffered hand. Gin turned and_ shunpo_-ed away, jolting Rangiku into action._

_"Geez, Gin, you could've warned me," she grumbled. He looked back at her and his mouth opened in a real smile._

_"Nu-uh, Ran-chan, that woulda spoiled the fun!"_

_Rangiku started at the use of the old nickname, then shook her head disparagingly and laughed. He looked back ahead of him and continued to_ shunpo_ away._

_After a while, the surroundings started to look familiar. All of a sudden, Rangiku gasped, pulling back slightly. Gin looked back at her, and his grin took on a slightly nostalgic air._

_"Come on, Ran-chan." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. Rangiku looked up at him and nodded slightly. Gin continued to_ shunpo_ for a couple more steps, and then he began walking down, stepping lightly onto the ground and folding forward slightly._

_Gin reclaimed his hand and folded his hands in his sleeves again. Rangiku straightened her scarf and robes and looked around._

_The edge of a Rukongai village faded off into the distance behind them and on the left, and an expanse of forest stretched to the right. A small stream, barely a glittering ribbon from the distance at which they stood, moved across the side of the barely slanted hillside. The grass was green as forever, and the sky was filled with a million stars. Thinking of Gin, Rangiku stopped looking at the stars and started looking at the inky-blue spaces between them._

_"Gin. . ."_

_Unconsciously, they switched places so that Rangiku was on the left as they started walking down towards the stream. She sat down and pulled of her socks and sandals. He did the same, and they dabbled their feet in the stream, the same as the had so many nights before._

_She cautiously leaned against him, and at the gentle returned pressure, relaxed. Her head found his shoulder, and they sat, staring at the sky. Rangiku reached over and threaded her fingers through those of her childhood friend._

_"Oh! I almost forgot, Ran-chan!" Gin pulled out two buns with his right hand. He tossed one to Rangiku, who caught it in her left. She bit into it, once again being completely unsurprised when it was sweet to the taste. It brought a smile to her lips and a faint tinge of pink to her cheeks._

_After several minutes of silence, Rangiku's smile cracked slightly, and her head drooped slightly._

_"Are you leaving again, Gin?" Her voice was soft and round in her mouth._

_He flinched, and she blinked in surprise. _Had she said something? Or was he just sad?_ She tilted her head back and looked up at his face._

_His eyes were open, and the corners of his mouth turned downward. He stared off into the distance somewhere far away. He looked inexplicably sad in a heart-wrenching sort of way._

_"Gin. . . ? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . ." His eyelids fluttered closed, and his chin tilted down slightly._

_"Ran-chan. . . ?" he started. His voice was slightly strained. His head shook an almost infinitesimal fraction back and forth. His mask kept fading in and out, like he was struggling to maintain it. His eyes opened again, and he looked out once more._ Into the starland, _Rangiku thought,_ that's where he always promised he would take me.

_"You're eyes are such a pretty blue," Rangiku commented softly, gently caressing the mood and trying to make it kinder to him. Gin smirked slightly, eyes sliding shut again._

_"Ran-chan?" he started again, "Ya know those other times we came here?"_

_"Of course, Gin. How could I forget."_

_"Ya remember what I said before?" With each word, his mask solidified more and more, until that impossibly grinning face was back._

_"I will always. . ." In an instant, his mask shattered. His face crumpled along with it, but only for a second. After that moment, he regained his composure and just looked sad._

Come back to you. Say it, say it, say it, Gin. Say it. I will always come back to you, Ran-chan. Promise. Please Gin! Say it!

_"I will always. . . love you, Ran-chan. I will always love you. Forever and ever and ever."_

_In that moment, Rangiku's heart shattered into a million pieces. He loved her, but why didn't he say he was coming back. Come back! she wanted to yell at him. You meant you will always come back. Rangiku cradled the splinters of her heart in her hands and tucked them away to try to put back together later._

_"I love you too, Gin." A water droplet fell on his robes, followed by another, and another. Gin pulled Rangiku into his lap, preferring to cry into her beautiful hair._

_They fell asleep like that, but when Rangiku awoke, he was gone. She was curled on the grassy bank, a captain's haori with no sleeves keeping her warm. She gasped and blushed at the situation, knowing Gin had meant it that way and was probably laughing about it back in his captain's rooms or wherever he was. She would have to carry it through the streets of Seireitei to give it back to him... She folded it at tight as it could possibly go, so it would be less noticeable, and set off for the 3rd squad barracks. She silently snuck in and draped it over a couch arm, slinking out again as quickly as possible._

_That day, he left for real, turning and apologizing one more time before disappearing in the pillar of golden light up to the hole in the sky._

_She hadn't seen him again until the day he died._

Matsumoto Rangiku broke. She _shunpo_-ed to that stream, that bank, and sat there, rocking silently back and forth. The tears that she had tried to hide since that day, exactly one year ago, gushed from her eyes now. Matsumoto stayed that way for a while, until she fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with images of him and her throughout the ages up until the end. The last dream before she awoke let her come back to this place in the morning, where she saw those shattered shards of heart she had left here a little over a year ago. Slowly, she began to put herself back together.

When Matsumoto woke, the moon was high. It had probably been less than a few hours since she had left the party, but it felt like years. She sighed and started pulling herself together. She felt better; it seemed that this night was destined to be a sort of healing ritual for her, not that she had ever believed in fate.

Her eyes slid closed and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. She stared up at the moon, then at the stars, and finally, off into the starland.

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***sniffle* I was so sad when he died. ;c The incredible amount of feels swimming around the room almost drowned me.**

**Next chapter is wrap-up, barely two paragraphs. I realized earlier today that this story really doesn't have a plot. I just wanted to write pairing feels. XD**


	8. The Moonlit Sky

**Disclaimer is on the first chapter. By the way, I totally made up the chant for the first offensive spell. I couldn't find it on the internet. Enjoy the final chapter!**

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Seven hearts beat as one, and seven minds wandered in and out of the centuries, joined, it seemed, by a dance, a love, and, of course, a moonlit sky. Memories wove in and out of the stars, tears fell freely, and soft smiles hung like mist around seven people.

_Goodnight Gin, Hisana, Karin. Goodnight Renji, Keterin, Kyoraku, and Nanao. Goodnight, mysterious, beautiful moonlit sky that awakens our hearts._


End file.
